The Octoraro Branch Railroad once connected Rising Sun, Colora, Rowlandsville, Liberty Grove, and other northwestern Cecil County communities with the outside world. But in the automobile-age, passenger service declined rapidly and after World War II freight service slowly disappeared. Although it’s been a long time since the lonesome locomotive whistle echoed through these valleys and hills, plenty of relics from the…
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Port Deposit Steam Engine Rushed to Havre de Grace To Help Save City From Conflagration
When a terrible fire struck the DuBois Planning and Sash Mill, the largest industry in Havre de Grace, one June day in 1883, men rushed the town’s small Holloway Chemical Engine to the factory. Once on the scene, they worked frantically trying to check the destructive advance. But the “ruthless flames” turned the factory and…
Underground Railroad Conference to Feature Talk by Local Historian About Elkton Slave Catcher
One of the speakers at this year at this year’s Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Conference is a local historian, Milt Diggins. The conference, which takes place in Cambridge on June 1st and 2nd, will feature a talk by the author and retired educator. Milt will present original research into the story of Thomas McCreary, a kidnapper and slave-catcher operating…
Elk Landing Opens 62-Acres of Park Land to Public
For those who enjoy the natural beauty of publicly owned lands and the cultural resources found on some of the properties in Cecil County, there’s some great new out of the Historic Elk Landing Foundation (HELF) this morning. HELF announced that the 62 acres of land purchased by the Town of Elkton through grants from…
Opening a Window on History: A Letter Provides a Personal Glimpse on the War of 1812
While historians learn about the past in many ways, one of the most exciting can be reading letters that were penned long ago. You never know what these private communications from another age are going to reveal or where they’re going to come from. Sometimes these old sheets of paper have been stashed away in…
As Gas Price Hits All Time High in Cecil County, 1970s Energy Crisis Recalled
April 8, 2012 — As gas prices hit an all-time high in Cecil County today, slipping past the $4.00 mark for regular for the first time, those posted amounts called to mind the 1970s energy crisis. The spike occurred at the John F. Kennedy Highway Service Center, but most spots around Cecil offered a gallon for…
A Night on the Town: Upper Bay Museum Honors Its Founders on May 19
Here’s a note we received from the Upper Bay Museum about an upcoming event to honor museum founders. Since our readers will find the message of interest, we’re posting it as a regular piece. Thanks Upper Bay Museum for letting us know and keep up the good work. ———- Hello All, I am contacting you to…
Let the Research Begin — 1940 Census Available on the Web at a Number of Sites
The personal, detailed records from the 1940 census, having been sealed for 72-years in accordance with confidentiality restrictions, were made available online Monday for free at a number of websites. Although the National Archives was the first to post digital images of the entire census on the web at www.nara.gov , the interest in the…
An Aged Citizen From Centuries Ago Still Promoting Cecil County Tourism & Heritage
Charlestown, March 29, 2012 — At the Cecil County Tourism Partners Breakfast at the Wellwood Club, I was pleased to run into my old friend Zebulon Hollingsworth, Jr. (aka Gordy Johnson). Now Zeb is what you might call a real old-timer as he’s been around Cecil County for centuries. Born in the 1730s, the gentleman passed…
North East Lockup Helped Keep Wayward Types on Straight and Narrow
What was North East to do with vagrants, drunks, disturbers of the peace, and other unruly types in the 1880s? Although a bailiff enforced the law, the town officer didn’t have a place to detain offenders after arrest. Placing prisoners on one of the P.W. & B. trains running through town and carting them off to…